TikTok to create 200 jobs in Ireland by early 2021

TikTok plans to hire 200 more people in Ireland over the next three months, having already grown its workforce here rapidly during the year.

The Chinese social media company has announced plans to bring its employee numbers here to 1,100 by early 2021 - having employed just 20 people in January.

TikTok allows users to create and share short videos that include different filters and backing tracks, and has enjoyed dramatic growth since its launch four years ago.

It now has an estimated 850 million active users each month - 100 million of which are based in Europe.

Today's announcement comes after TikTok established its EMEA Trust and Safety Hub in Dublin earlier this year.

In August it also announced that it would base its first European data centre in Ireland as part of a €420m investment.

"In less than a year, Ireland has rapidly become a vital centre for both our European and global operations," said TikTok's interim chief Vanessa Pappas.

"Its strong pool of skilled and diverse talent, booming digital and technology sector, and rich heritage of arts and culture, make it such an attractive base for a platform that prides itself on being an inclusive home for creative expression."

IDA Ireland welcomed the news, which it said demonstrated the company's commitment to Ireland.

"News of TikTok’s rapid expansion of its operations here is very welcome; its ability to scale up to this degree so quickly speaks to the strength of Ireland’s offering generally and in particular our skills pool and vibrant technology ecosystem," said IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan. "It puts TikTok’s Irish site at the centre of its global operations and in doing so, demonstrates huge commitment by the company to Ireland."

Taoiseach Micheál Martin also welcomed the announcement and the company's "remarkable" growth.

"TikTok is an amazing success story, made even more remarkable by the short period of time in which it has been operational," said Mr Martin.

"I welcome TikTok’s commitment to Ireland and its pledge to increase numbers to over 1,100 in 2021.

"These are high quality jobs, but more specifically, they are aimed at ensuring that people can use the app safely while upholding the highest data protection standards."